Fake ICE

NBC News- In January of last year, a group of armed assailants entered a house shared by immigrants in North Carolina. A hooded man kicked down a bedroom door shouting “ICE! ICE!” one immigrant recalled. “I raised my hands, and he asked, ‘Where’s the money?’ That’s when I realized it was a robbery. It wasn’t ICE,” the Mexican immigrant, who didn’t share his name, said.

The incident is part of a growing trend of people impersonating immigration agents. Although neither the federal government nor local authorities publish specific records on such crimes, an analysis by Noticias Telemundo, based on court records, police reports and news articles, suggests that the number has increased over the past year. 

The investigation documented at least 31 impersonation cases in 2025 alone. Recorded incidents appear to be growing more violent, and include intimidation, robbery and sexual assault, as well as so-called “immigration operations” carried out by armed vigilantes. MORE